The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-09-29

Mre. Homespun ON Lawn Tennis.
eyes, said Mrs. Homespun, recently
retained from the seaside. had pretty
good time, considerin'; but TO tell you the
liyin' truth, Id about as lives be at home
What with the rush and drive and hurly
bully that's goin on all the time. an The
dressin' and undressin', an the eatin' all
sorts o. strange things, a stullin ones sell
nom mornin to night, an the sleepin', OF
trl ia to, on a bed that would bs dis
grace IN any Christian household, with
nothing under you but the Stats, and Moth
ia over you bnt the ceiln'. and what with
the comm aud goin and the airs that
some of the folks put on-folks that live
mighty close when they are at home,
'eckon-l was sick aud tired of il oil be-
fore I'd been there three days
"An' then they have such ways Of KILN
timel They had game they called lawn
tennis. couldn't make head nor tail out
II it; but the fellows and gals, specially
the gals, were just crazy to be at 1t all the
time.
There wasn't much to the game, so far
as can see. All they do is to knock a
ball to and fro. The principal feature OF
the game, as near as | can make out, was
to rig up in the outlandishist thing they
could lay their hands on, and the conse-
quence was that the gals were dressed in
all the colors of the rainbow and as near
like men as they dared to. The fellers
were generally clothed in white flannel
and proiuse perspiration, And you'd
orter seen them gals kick up their heels
1t was positively disgraceiul, and it made
mo shamefaced enough to look at them.
But they did't seem TO mind it, notwith
ing whole piazza full OF men were look
ing at them.
They didn't have no good place TO play
and they didn't have nothing to play with
Some fishermen had hung up their net to
dry across the field, and il bothered the
players awfully, and the ball-they played |
with two Of 'em kept getting foul of the
net, and though they didn't say nothing
could see they were mad nuff inside.
And they did't have any real bats so they |
had cot hold Of some old snow shoes some. |
where and used them instead. They made
pretty good bats however, considering.
and perhaps the novelty OF the thing was
more than half the fun.
But ! guess, after all, the principal fun
was the flirting that was going on all the
line. My! but they did go it awful
strong There was May Smith, she was
n it as hot as the best OF them, and ]
heard her and feller she didn't know
nore'n ten minutes talkin' as glibly OF
owe AS an engaged couple II just made
ny dander rise to hear them, and said to
nyslf III guess your mother would put
lea in your ear, young woman, il she was
lere.
I'd like to catch girl Of mine romping
ound with a lot OF fellers, and making
I'VE before all the world in that brszen
ashionl guess she never hear the last
j ii.
But you'd orter seen them There's
lay Smith, for instance. When she's at
ome she's 50 weak she cant lift dish
az, and really believe she'd faint dead
way II you'd ask her to sweep a floor (
Tut there she romped and raced the whole
fternoon and way after dark, and she q
idn't seem 10 be tuckered when she got {
hrougb; aud | reckon twas mighty sight !
arder work than she'd ever been asked q
. do at home. i guess. however, that
hey were all 80 much taken up with their I
irting that they didn't have time TO feel d
red. ] reckon they were stiff enough {
ext morning Ii
But it beats all how young folks do 60 |
u now days, When was young we used
} have our kissing games, such as piller
I'd roll the cover. They we're innocent
nough and didn't mean nothing guess
ed heard from ii II we went racing
round the green with parcel Of fellows
liking about love and such things night
4 face aud eyes Of all the world.